Assemblies for wood ladder rungs



April 30, 1957 H. J. TROCHE ASSEMBLIES FOR woos LADDER RUNGS Filed May15, 1953 R.E H Y MG E O N ER R VT 0 N I J A N A M R ,E H

United States Patent 2,790,586 ASSEMBLIES FOR WOOD LADDER RUNGS HermanJ. Troche, Fairview Park, Ohio, assignor to J. H. Hglan Corporation,Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of 0 io Application May 13, 1953, SerialNo. 354,730 6 Claims. (Cl. 22858) The invention relate to wood rungassemblies. Particularly, it relates to such assemblies for ladders. Ihave applied the invention to ladders forming a part of the installationand maintenance equipment for public utility lines, which equipment isoperated from utility truck bodies. However, the invention is notlimited to use on ladders for such purpose.

The main purpose of the invention is to provide an assembly of thischaracter which can be quickly and conveniently applied and which willprovide a very rigid structure.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail astructure illustrating the improvements in wood rung assemblies, suchdrawing and description presenting, however, only one of the variousforms in which the principle of the invention may be embodied.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a part of a ladder showing twoladder wood rungs at the both ends of each of which the improved rungassembly is applied;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the right-hand side of the structureshown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, taken in theplane indicated by the line 33, Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an axial section of an end of a rung to which the improvedrung assembly is applied, a broken section of a fragmentary portion of aladder rail to which the rung is secured being also shown, the sectionbeing taken in the plane indicated by the line 44, Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a two-part annular bracket forming partof the improved rung assembly.

Referring to the annexed drawing in which the same elements areindicated by the same respective numbers in the several views, a ladderhas side rails 1 and cylindrical wood rungs 2. The invention is directedto an assembly of elements whereby each rung 2 is rigidly secured at itstwo ends to the inside faces of the side rails 1.

A split sleeve 3 is mounted on each end of the rung 2. Surrounding theouter end of this sleeve 3 is a two-part annular bracket, of which eachpart 4 has an inwardlyextended end ear 5. The bracket parts 4 arearranged in reversed relation and mated and form a substantiallycomplete tubular member surrounding and engaging the sleeve 3. Thesleeve 3 extends at its inner end beyond the bracket parts 4 and at itsouter end is formed with a peripheral outwardly-extended flange adaptedto seat in an annular notched area 12 formed centrally of and at theinner edges of the rail faces of the two bracket parts 4.

Riveted to each of the bracket ears 5 is the ear 11 of a clip 6 which isfastened by bolts 8 to the inside face of a ladder rail 1.

The elements described are at each end of the rung 2 together withinclined rail plates 7 which are secured by bolts 8 to and flush withthe outside faces of the rails 1. The bolts 8 also secure the clips 6 tothe inside faces of the rails 1.

A tie-rod 9, which is seated in the bottom part of the rung 2 and hasits ends positioned between the bolts 8, is secured to the plates 7. Forthe securing of the tierod 9, which extends throughout the length of therung 2 and into and through the rails 1, the tie-rod ends are threadedand are engaged by T nuts 13.

First, a sleeve 3 is assembled on an end of the rung 2. Then a pinchingtogether of the split edges of the sleeve 3 is effected by the rivettingtogether of the ears 5 and 11 of the brackets 4 and the clips 6respectively. This pinching action closes the sleeve 3 into quite closeabutting relation with and around the rung 2.

Application of the bolts 8 causes the shoulder 14 of the bracket parts 4at the inner side of the notched area 12 to pull the sleeve 3 by theflange 10 tightly against the inner face of the rail 1. This actioneffects a tight clamping together of the sleeve 3, the bracket parts 4,and the rail 1.

When the assembly has been thus secured at both ends of the rung 2against the inside faces of the two rails 1, the two rails are movedinto rigid relative positions, and respectively tightly against the twoends of the rung 2, by the application to the tie-rod 9 of the nuts 13.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a ladder having side rails and spaced rungstherebetween, an assembly for securing the ends of a rung to the siderails comprising a split sleeve adjacent each end of a rung and looselysurrounding the same, a two-part clamping means surrounding and engagingthe sleeve, means for securing together the two parts of the clampingmeans to tighten the sleeve on the rung, means for fastening theclamping means to the rail, and means on the sleeve engaged by theclamping means by the fastening of the latter, su-ch engagementetfecting sliding movement of the sleeve on the rung and against therail.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which said sleeve has an outwardlyextending peripheral flange engaged by the clamping means as the latteris fastened to effect said sliding movement of the sleeve.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which said two-part clamping meanscomprises mating bracket parts each having an car, a clip securable to arail for each bracket part, said clip also having an car, an ear of aclip being fastened to an ear of a bracket part.

4. The structure of claim 3, in which said fastening means comprisebolts passing through the rails and secured to the clips.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which a tie rod is incorporated with anwithin the rung and has threaded ends within the side rails, in whichthere are exterior plates for the side rails, in which the ends of thetie rod are engaged by T nuts abutting the exterior faces of the railplates, and in which the fastening means for the clamping elementsintersect the rail plates upon both sides of the tie rod T nuts.

6. The structure of claim 1, in which the sleeve has a peripheraloutwardly-extended end flange, in which the clamping means is a two-partbracket mounted on the sleeve, in which the sleeve flange abuts thebracket, and in which the bracket has a central notched formation forreception of the sleeve flange, the fastening of the bracket moving thesleeve into engagement with the rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS279,576 Leaycraft June 19, 1883 796,208 Hartzler Aug. 1, 1905 890,319Wells June 9, 1908 949,194 Myer Feb. 15, 1910 1,186,621 Townsend June13, 1916 2,359,952 Welger Oct. 10, 1944 2,570,730 Stroud Oct. 9, 19512,650,749 Balogh Sept. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,206 Great Britain of1901

